Many of Southeastern’s programs begin in this manner, with a member of the congregation championing a cause they care about. Preaching Minister Greg York says of this philosophy, “So much of that stuff is better if you let it grow organically than if you try to impose it from above.” He loves when parishioners become excited about a new project. “If someone has recognized a need and is willing to lay themselves down to be part of the solution, then I want to support that,” Greg says. “And Russell clearly had a passion when he came to us.”

Despite his positivity, Art is no stranger to hardship. Last year, he successfully underwent treatment for prostate cancer. Recently, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. But he maintains an attitude of gratefulness. He says, “If I look at God’s grace, I have it in orders of magnitude.” He counts off his blessings: his career, getting to go to Law School, and, most of all, his wife, Penny. “No matter what happens, I’m blessed,” he says. “The Parkinson’s thing? That’s God’s will. He knew this was coming before I was born. And it’s just part of the deal.”

Becoming friends with the parents of her children’s friends emphasized the blessings afforded her simply by being born in this country. “There but for the grace of God go I,” she says. “I didn’t do anything to deserve this. I just happened to be born in a family that happened to be here [in America].”

Latosha was then faced with the dilemma of needing to find another job, but with something on her criminal record from much earlier, she was worried about her chances of getting hired elsewhere. Over the years, she’d never even tried. She explains, “I’ve kind of been stuck at the same job for like 16 years, but I always stayed there because of my background. I didn’t think I could go nowhere else.”

It is easy to understand how and why other people hurt—at least when they’re in your office, crumpled tissues in hand, the empathy flows. But sympathy and empathy alone can leave you in the realm of pitying people. And we have not been called to pity people. Our call is to "(a)dminister true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another” (Zechariah 7:9).

“Compassion is loving others … I’ve learned one of the most important things is to just hear someone’s story. To stop, put your pencil down, because life is so busy and hard and complicated that people don’t give each other time.”

On April 30, 2015 at 1:30 PM, bankruptcy attorney Matthew Gaudin will host a training for attorneys with little or no bankruptcy experience in the specifics of helping someone to file. According to Matt, this training offers a unique opportunity for attorneys who want to expand their practice area. But this is not the only perk.

The Civil Legal Advice Line is beautiful in its simplicity: For those who live outside of the counties the Clinic serves with on-site intakes, clients can now call 1-877-230-7521 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00AM to 5:00PM. During this call, they can speak with an attorney and receive free legal information and advice.

“The Clinic helped me realize the variety of ways there are to worship. It made me see that I didn’t have to separate the professional part of my life from…my faith and that they could enrich each other.” These two seemingly incompatible pursuits were now clearly working most effectively and edifyingly in tandem.